The present invention relates to an embroidery machine, and in particular, to an embroidery machine technical support system and a method allowing at least an embroidery machine to communicate with a technical support server located at a remote service center which provides the embroidery machine with various information and a storage medium having stored therein computer executable instructions to implement the method.
Generally, an embroidery machine comprises an embroidery operation program for automatically embroidering an embroidery design. The embroidery machine includes a storage, an input unit, a controller, an embroidery machine, and a fault detector. The storage stores an embroidery design data. The input unit inputs an embroidery design selection signal, and an embroidery operation start/stop signal from the user. The controller controls the embroidery machine in response to a user""s request. The embroidery machine embroiders the selected embroidery design. The fault detector detects the fault of the embroidery machine if the embroidery operation is stopped by the fault of the embroidery machine.
Where the user inputs the selected embroidery design and the embroidery operation start signal, the controller controls the embroidery operation program stored in the storage to embroider the selected embroidery design. If the embroidery operation is stopped by the fault of the embroidery machine, the controller controls the display unit for displaying a fault message of the embroidery machine. The user should repair the embroidery machine after checking the fault message. However, when the user cannot repair the embroidery machine, the user makes a phone call to a system administrator of service center in order to request a repair service.
In case a request for on-site repair by the user, the system administrator shall correctly understand the fault of the embroidery machine so as to bring a correct embroidery part for repair. However the user may not know which embroidery-part is broken. Even though the user notices the correct fault embroidery-part, the user may not know the embroidery-part name. If so, the user may not explain the embroidery technical support information to the system administrator in detail and the system administrator may misunderstand the fault of the embroidery machine.
In this situation, if the system administrator may bring a wrong embroidery part for on-site repair, the system administrator returns to the service center to bring a correct embroidery part. Furthermore, some cases where the user recognizes a fault of the embroidery machine, an unnecessary on-site repair may occur. As above, there is a problem that the system administrator incorrectly diagnoses the fault of the embroidery machine in case that the user incorrectly explains the technical support information to the system administrator. Accordingly, there is strongly needed an embroidery machine technical support system for efficiently diagnosing the fault of the embroidery machine.
The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above problem.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an embroidery machine technical support system and method allowing an embroidery machine to communicate with a technical support server of a remotely located service center in accordance with an user""s manipulation so as to receive various information related to the embroidery machine.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an embroidery machine technical support system for diagnosing a fault of an embroidery machine, comprising: a communication network; an embroidery system coupled to the communication network for indicating that an embroidery operation is stopped by the fault of the embroidery machine, displaying a emulator drive guide message, displaying a technical support web page received from the communication network in response to an emulator drive signal inputted by an user, and transmitting technical support information, inputted into the technical support web page by the user, to the communication network; and a technical support server coupled to the communication network for providing the technical support web page to the communication network, diagnosing the fault of the embroidery machine by employing the technical support information inputted into the technical support web page in order to generate technical support information, and transmitting the technical support information to the embroidery system through the communication network.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for diagnosing the fault of the embroidery machine, comprising the steps of: (a) detecting that an embroidery operation is stopped by the fault of the embroidery machine and displaying a emulator drive guide message; (b) displaying a technical support page in response to a emulator drive signal inputted by an user; (c) transmitting technical support information, inputted into the technical support web page by the user, from an embroidery system to a technical support server; and (d) transmitting the technical support web page from a technical support server to the embroidery system, diagnosing the fault of the embroidery machine by employing the technical support information inputted into the technical support web page in order to generate technical support information, and transmitting the technical support information to the embroidery system. In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing program instructions, the program instructions disposed on a computer to perform a method for diagnosing the fault of the embroidery machine, comprising the steps of: (a) indicating that an embroidery operation is stopped by the fault of the embroidery machine and displaying a emulator drive guide message; (b) displaying a technical support web page in response to an emulator drive signal inputted by an user; (c) transmitting technical support information, inputted into the technical support web page by the user, from an embroidery system to a technical support server; and (d) transmitting the technical support web page from a technical support server to the embroidery system, diagnosing the fault of the embroidery machine by employing the technical support information inputted into the technical support web page in order to generate technical support information, and transmitting the technical support information to the embroidery system.